An online community sharing the study and practice of Chan Buddhism
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By
Chuan Zhi
Anyone who cares to investigate advanced spiritual practices of the Buddhist traditions (and many others), or has delved into them directly, quickly comes to realize that the exalted spiritual states referred to, most often obliquely, actually entail considerable sexual experience. The difference being that this experience is an internal experience and does not involve another person or, in ...
By
Fa Gong, OHY
One of the challenges of Chan is that many students are often fatally handicapped by needing to have at least some degree of intellectual satisfaction before they will consider letting the intellect drop. Perhaps this is one of the occasions that Buddha referred to as requiring "skillful means" in teaching. While the "answer" to this hua tou is simply to disregard the possibility of a rational ...
By
Chuan Zhi
Buddhism, and Chan Buddhism in particular, generally considers discussions of psychology, if not irrelevant, a waste of time. "Just sit." We're told when we ask our teacher about why we fell in love with someone, got angry with our child, felt guilt over not helping a destitute old man on the street. Or we may be told, "work on your hua-tou, don't be distracted by wondering thoughts ...
By
Chuan Zhi
When we begin our journey in Buddhism, we commit to “taking refuge” in three principles: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Taking refuge commonly means the act of going into something for shelter, protection, safety, etc. In a hail storm, for example, we might take refuge from being pommelled from falling projectiles by finding a roof to get underneath. Sometimes we need several refuges ...
By
Chuan Zhi Shakya
Quintessential to understanding Buddhism, in all its myriad flavors, is the concept of Dharma, a term that originated somewhere in the ancient Indus valley civilization long before the birth of Hinduism and Buddhism, and long before India was India. In the hymns of the Vedas, the term was used to refer to a governing balance and stabilizing force of the universe, through which all existence was ...
By
Chuan Zhi
Chan Master Ben Huan is arguably China’s most influential Chan master of the mid- and late- 20th century, following his masters, Hsu Yun and Lai Guo. Hsu Yun established the groundwork for the resurgence of Chan following the Cultural Revolution by forging favorable relations between Buddhism and the government, revitalizing numerous temples, and lighting a fire that rekindled Chan ...